Chalmette man charged in 11 vehicle break-ins

The St. Bernard Sheriff's Officer said deputies arrested a man early Sunday after witnesses said they saw him leave two cars about 2 a.m.

Detectives said they linked 33-year-old Jason Knight to nine other break-ins that night.

Sheriff James Pohlmann said Knight is being held at the St. Bernard Parish Prison in lieu of a bond set at $44,500.

The sheriff said deputies were able to recover some of the stolen property.

Investigators said Knight has a criminal history that includes arrests on burglary, shoplifting and drug charges.

A witness on Octavia Street told deputies he saw a man get in and out of two vehicles parked in the neighborhood that night. The witness said he asked the man what he was doing and the man said the owners had given him permission to get into the vehicles.

However, the witness told deputies they knew the owners of the vehicles and was suspicious. The resident later saw the man walk into a home at 2025 Octavia St.

Pohlmann said the witness talked to the owners of the vehicles and found out the owners had not given permission to anyone to get inside the vehicles. The victims then discovered money had been taken from the vehicles.

When deputies arrived at 2025 Octavia St., a woman told them Knight was her brother and had moved there just the day before. That's when authorizes said Knight tried to run out the back down and was arrested by a deputy.

Knight was initially charged in the first two burglaries and with resisting an officer.

Later that day, several other residents started to report vehicle break-ins.

Detectives were able to talk to the owner of a nearby business who said his surveillance system showed someone testing the door handles on vehicles and then entering them.

Pohlmann said Knight was identified as the man in the video.

He was charged in connection with the other nine burglaries on Monday.

The sheriff said people should be careful to always lock their vehicles because the great majority of vehicle thefts involve burglarized cars that were left unlocked.

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